>“This is a work with controversial content. The content of this work may not be compatible with the principles of a democratic society. This copy is provided on the basis of freedom of censorship, freedom of expression, and freedom of information.”
>The court found this phrasing went far beyond neutrality, essentially discrediting the ideas contained in the books and discouraging potential readers from engaging with them.
>According to the ruling, such a notice “negatively frames the opinions expressed in the book” and violated the principle that opinion formation in a democratic society must be “free of steering”.
>While libraries were entitled to choose what works to stock or exclude, the court emphasised they had no mandate to editorialise on content once a book was in situ.
>The books targeted by the now-discredited warning label included Concealed – Covered Up – Forgotten 2024 by journalist and author Wisnewski, published by Kopp Verlag.
>Also targeted was Putin: Game Master by Swiss security expert Baud, which challenged prevailing Western narratives about the Ukraine war.
https://archive.is/FxVzB
German court slaps down library ‘warning labels’ on ‘controversial books
